The present application relates to a transparent electrode device, an information input device, and electronic equipment, and more particularly relates to a transparent electrode device having an electrode region subjected to patterning, an information input device using the transparent electrode device, and electronic equipment using the transparent electrode device provided to a display panel.
An information input device disposed on a display face side of a display panel (a so-called touch panel) is of a configuration where electrode patterns extending in the X direction and electrode patterns extending in the Y direction on a transparent substrate are each arrayed so as to be insulated from each other. These electrode patterns are configured using a transparent electroconductive film formed of a metal oxide such as indium tin oxide (ITO) or a transparent electroconductive film of integrated metal nanowires.
With an information input device of such a configuration, if the resistance value of an electrode pattern configured using a transparent electroconductive film is to be suppressed, a film thickness of a certain degree is unavoidable. This can cause the electrode pattern to be more readily visible from the outer side of the information input device, thus becoming a factor in deterioration of visual recognition of displayed images on the display panel on which this information input device has been disposed.
Accordingly, there has been proposed a configuration where floating dummy electrodes are disposed between the electrode patterns, thus making the existence of the electrode patterns less conspicuous by suppressing contrast between the electrode patterns one another (e.g., see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication Nos. 2008-129708 and 2010-2958)